JMC curriculum revision

The Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) department is changing its curriculum as demanded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education in 2006, when AUBG got its Bulgarian accreditation.

Professor Sandra Earley, the chair of the JMC Department, invited all JMC students to participate in focus groups and brainstorm on the direction of the new curriculum on November 17. Seven focus groups discussed issues related to public relations and advertising, internship and capstone, multimedia, graphic design and photography, TV and radio, and reporting and writing.

Students discussed whether the department needs more full time professors, more practical and focused courses, new equipment, as well as a capstone project. "Curriculum revision] was a necessary thing to do. The courses are too spread; we do not have a defined program. I hope our suggestions will be useful," Sofia-Kiti Ilieva, leader of the capstone and internship focus group, said. The capstone and internship focus group suggested the capstone project should be similar to a senior thesis, and should count as having passed the state exam.

The focus group proposed giving at least four credits for the mandatory internships. The group also suggested that if a student decides to do a capstone project, the internship should not be compulsory. "Capstone is of great importance," Ilieva said. "Essentially, the students will have the opportunity to show their skills. The capstone portfolios will work both for jobs and graduation applications," she added.

The graphic design and photography focus group stressed on the need for separate courses in design and layout. The group said they thought new courses on visual editing are needed, as well as introduction to photography and advanced photography. Aside from courses, more equipment is needed, still cameras in particular. "Still cameras for Spirovska's photojournalism classes are coming next semester," said Earley.

A demand for more practical courses came from the public relations and advertising group. The members presented the idea of doing extensive coverage, more in-depth analysis and provocative discussion of specific campaigns. "We need different kinds of advertising," student Mirian Jugheli, a defacto reporter, said. "They could be in the printed press, online, radio and video variations," he added. Leader of the focus group Ecaterina Captari offered to invite alumni from the public relations industry to the university. "It would be great if we had experienced AUBG alumni coming back to the university to share experience and give lectures," Captari said.

Having a student-run studio and online TV were the main suggestions of the TV and radio focus group. "Capstone project required for graduation could be in a form of a radio or video show," Andrea Ivanovic, head of TV and radio group, said.

Introduction of an advanced editing class that focuses more on copy editing was one of the main suggestions of the reporting and writing group. The focus group members said they thought magazine writing, and TV and radio script writing classes should be included in the curriculum. Moreover, the group suggested removing beat reporting from the Information Skills II program.

The new age media and multimedia group suggested having more courses on blog reporting, as well as on multimedia editing and producing. In addition, the group proposed a course focusing on the shift in media use and information exchange.

Whenever the provost proposes a revision of the curriculum, the proposal goes to the Curriculum Committee, reads the AUBG Faculty Handbook. After reviewing the provost's proposal, the committee makes a recommendation to the Faculty Assembly. Subsequently, the Assembly recommends the revision to the Provost and the President. "Aernout van Lynden [former chair of the JMC department] and Ann Ferren made the first steps towards the revision of the curriculum in spring 2008," Earley said.

The first draft of the new department curriculum should be ready next semester, Professor Phelps Hawkins said. "To a large extent, it is a question of speed," Hawkins said. "We are compiling everything right now and we will try to bring together the European and American concepts of journalism," he added. Professor Dinka Spirovska said "we will fall behind if we stay on the current level so it is better if we make the changes sooner."

The JMC department faculty expects the new curriculum to be implemented by Fall 2010 semester. "If we write a curriculum that shows a need for new faculty members I believe it will get fair consideration from the administration," Earley said. "I'm not positive everything is going to change, but I do appreciate the effort," student Liliya Manahilova said. "It was worth doing. Maybe not now, but in the future the curriculum revision will give a more comprehensive program for the JMC majors," she added.